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- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set itself an ambitious to-do list of making and launching around 65 satellites for a slew of uses. They are planned to be realised over the period from 2017 to 2021.
- Now among the world’s favourite and reliable commercial launchers for small satellites, the upcoming 42nd PSLV will carry a total of 31 satellites including 28 paid riders.
- The main payload, the 710-kg Cartosat-2F, is the seventh in the Cartosat-2 series and is built to work for five years. Said to have a high, sub-metre resolution, it is unofficially said to serve military surveillance purposes.
- ISRO is putting up two of its own small satellites ”” a 100 kg micro satellite and the 11-kg nano satellite INS-1C. There are also 28 smaller customers.
- The commercial satellites include three 100-kg class micro satellites and 25 nanosats (1-10 kg) from Canada, Finland, France, Korea the U.K. and the U.S.
- The PSLV has so far launched 209 small and medium satellites for foreign countries and earned revenue for the commercial arm, Antrix Corporation Ltd.
- ISRO will be trying a two-orbit feat with the PSLV for the second time. On Friday, just after 17 minutes from take-off, the main satellite will be released first into a 505-km orbit, followed by 29 others.
- Almost 1.5 hours later, microsat will be released into a lower 359 km orbit. Between the two orbits, the engine in the fourth stage of the rocket will be re-started twice during the course.
- The flight lasting 2 hours and 21 minutes will be the longest of the PSLV, about six minutes longer than C-35 which was launched in September 2016.
- A satellite launch costs ₹200-₹300 crore depending on its size and the level of technology.
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